Host genetics and gut microbiota composition: Baseline gut microbiota composition as a possible prognostic factor for the severity of COVID-19 in patients with familial Mediterranean fever disease

Vardan Tsaturyan, Anahit Manvelyan, Marine Balayan, Natalya Harutyunyan, Elya Pepoyan, Tamas Torok, Michael Chikindas, Astghik Pepoyan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: It is known that the gut microbiome of a healthy person affects the process of COVID-19 after getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus. It is also believed that colchicine can alleviate the severity of COVID-19. Objective: Current investigations aimed to evaluate the associations between the baseline gut microbiota composition of healthy and Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) - carrier Armenian men populations, and the severity of the COVID-19 disease after their infection with the SARS-CoV-2. The study has a purpose of answering three core questions: i. Do the characteristics of gut microbiome of Armenians affect the course of COVID-19 severity? ii. How does the COVID-19 disease course on go for FMF patients who have been taking colchicine as a medication over the years after getting infected with SARS-CoV-2? iii. Is there an initial gut micribiota structure pattern for non-FMF and FMF patients in the cases when COVID-19 appears in mild form? Methods: The gut microbiota composition in non-FMF and FMF patients before the first infection (mild and moderate course of COVID-19) was considered. COVID-19 was diagnosed by SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid RT-PCR in nasopharyngeal swab and/or sputum. Results: The number of patients with male FMF with mild COVID-19 was approximately two times higher than that of non-FMF male subjects with COVID-19. In addition, an association of COVID-19 disease severity with the baseline gut Prevotella, Clostridium hiranonis, Eubacterium biforme, Veillonellaceae, Coprococcus, and Blautia diversities in the non-FMF and FMF populations were revealed by us, which can be used as risk/prognostic factor for the severity of COVID-19.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number1107485
JournalFrontiers in Microbiology
Volume14
DOIs
StatePublished - 2023

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Microbiology
  • Microbiology (medical)

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • disease severity analysis
  • familial Mediterranean fever disease
  • gender
  • gut microbiota

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